The Calm After The Storm
by Hazel Harper
Summary: Jeff's pregnant wife disappeared during the storm and everyone believes that she's dead, everyone except for Jeff. Is she really still alive, or will Jeff have to except that she's gone? **Sequel to Collide**
1. Chapter 1

***Drum roll please!* Here is the first chapter of the sequel to Collide. Please R&R!!! **

**Chapter 1**

Trish walked up to Matt and gazed at him sadly. She tilted her head to the side as her long, wavy blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders. She looked at him and felt the tears begin to brim at her eyes. Matt instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender body as he pulled her tightly towards his own body.

"How's Jeff?" she asked, tears in her voice.

Matt shook his head. "He's a mess. He can't face it. He won't face it. We tried everything… he doesn't want to try anything. I don't know what to do." He said, now with tears in his voice. "Dad suggested he go talk to someone, but he won't. He said that until they find something of her, he'll always be looking for her…"

Trish wiped the tears from her eyes. "She was his whole world… her and the girls. I can't even imagine how he must be feeling…"

"I loved… love… I will always love Megan… but it's been almost 6 months and they haven't found anything. Not a shoe or anything… it's like she disappeared into thin air! I don't know what to do because when she disappeared my whole world went dark. None of us are the same. None of us!" he screamed, tears trailing his face. He didn't care about crying in front of Trish. He knew that she understood.

Trish tried to smile, "Meg was the light of our lives. She never did anything but love us. Even our quirky attributes. She was my best friend…" Trish cried.

"Dad blames himself. He feels that if he hadn't called her, she never would have been in the storm. Jeff blames himself for not being at home with her… or at least being at the show with her and Jay…. It's a mess. Shannon is completely cut off from everything…. Jeff doesn't want to come back to work… even just being here reminds me of her. Every time I pass the medical tent, expecting to see her…. I can't take this anymore. It hurts too much." He said finally breaking down into complete hysterics.

Trish tried to comfort him by placing her hand onto his shoulder as he cried into his hands.

"Shhh…. Matt, it'll be ok…"

Matt's head shot up as he looked into her eyes. "It's not ok! It's never going to be ok! I am trying to have hope that maybe she's out there but I highly doubt she's alive!"

Trish's eyes widened with shock.

"And that! Your reaction makes me feel like such a dick for thinking it! Seriously, Trish! She was in labor and she was alone! The thought of her dying like that makes me feel physically ill!" he sobbed as Trish clutched his body close to hers.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x Elsewhere x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Babe, you ok?" Ethan called to Hope.

She raised her head and looked at him. She shrugged her shoulders. "I have a headache."

Ethan nodded his head. "How are the princesses?"

Mentions of the girls made Hope smile, she loved her daughters. She was beginning to feel love for Ethan also. Over the past 6 months, he'd taken her and her infant daughters into his home and had done everything in his power to find her family, which was an extensive task since she couldn't remember anything about herself or her past. Unfortunately, a month after being with Ethan, he'd told her devastating news. During the hurricane, she'd been separated from her family and her family hadn't survived. The thought of being alone and not knowing who she was devastating to her. Raising two infants who would grow up without knowing their father upset her greatly. Ethan had told her that she and the girls could live with him for as long as they needed to. That was 4 months ago. Over the months, Hope, had begun to feel something inside of her which she wasn't sure if she should feel or not. She depended on Ethan for everything and he was great to her and the girls. As the months pressed, she felt herself loving him. There was always something in the back of her mind that made her stop every time Ethan tried to kiss her. He'd been respectful about it also. Never rushed or pressured her for anything.

"Hope, you ok?" he asked as he bounced Bianca on his leg.

She looked at Ethan and smiled at her daughter's laughs. She looked down and scooped up Bianca's identical twin sister, Cameron and held her in her arms.

Cameron… she knew and loved this name but she couldn't remember why…

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x To Be Continued? x-x-x-x-x-x-x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Hope smiled as Ethan left the house on the way to work. She loved being alone in the house for some reason. Ethan was great, but sometimes she felt smothered by his presence. She was desperate to figure out who she was, and Ethan seemed upset by this. They'd had arguments about it in the past. He always told her that it would hurt her to remember her family considering that they were dead. Hope could understand that it would hurt her; however, she needed to remember. She needed to know who she was so she could be herself now. Plus, she wanted her daughters to know about their father. She wanted to remember their father. Even though he was gone, he'd given her two beautiful babies and had a piece of him forever. The girls were sleeping in the nursery, which she and Ethan had worked on. She entered the room and sat on the floor between the two cribs. She felt like she could cry. She wanted to remember who she was. What she was about… What she liked….remembering anything about herself would be helpful. She looked into the sleeping faces of her girls and knew that they had faces of their father. A face that she wished she could remember. Both Bianca and Cameron had hazel green eyes and blonde hair. She closed her eyes and prayed that she could remember who she was. Even the name Hope sounded wrong.

Ethan arrived home at the usual time and announced himself like he always did. Hope was in the kitchen with the girls when he walked through the door.

"Hey. I made your favorite…" she announced looking at him with a smile on her face.

"Awesome." He replied giving her a kiss on the side of her face before going over to play with the girls.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x Elsewhere x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Jeff looked at his brother from across the room. He missed his wife. Megan was more than just his wife. She was his best friend. It'd been the longest six months of his life and trying to live without her was impossible. Everyone around him seemed to accept the fact that Megan was gone and not coming back. He couldn't accept it. Not without some proof. He'd put it into his head that Megan could walk through the door anytime and until he had proof, no one would sway him. Matt had been walking on egg shells for the last 6 months around Jeff. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and cause a fight. Matt prayed that Megan was just lost somewhere… but he was a more logical thinker than Jeff which led him to think that it was just a matter of time before something was found.

"Vince said whenever you're ready to come back to work he'll have a storyline ready for you." Matt said optimistically.

Jeff arched his eyebrow. "I'm not ready for that… I need to be here…"

"It's been 6 months…"

"I need to be here when she comes home…"

"Jeff…."

"It's where Megan knows I'll always be waiting for her…"

"Jeff! Megan would not want you to be living like this!" Matt screamed losing his cool.

Jeff looked into his eyes and shook his head. "You're just like everyone else! You've given up on her!" he screamed jumping up from the table. "I always knew when she was in trouble or upset. I could feel it! If she were gone, I'd feel it! I don't feel it! I know she's out there!"

"Then why isn't she home? Hmmm?" Matt asked angrily. Upon seeing Jeff's face, he quickly regretted it.

Jeff slammed the chair into the table and stormed off.

"Shit…" Matt swore under his breath as he ran his hands over his face in frustration.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x Elsewhere x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Hope sat awake on the porch while Ethan and the girls slept. It was 4am and she just couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing. She hadn't told Ethan, but she'd had a few dreams which were so vivid she didn't know if she was remembering her past or just having crazy dreams. In the one dream, there was a face. She couldn't describe it, but every time she closed her eyes she saw it. Ethan had told her about the accident and she knew where the site was. She'd been there a few times hoping to have something trigger her memory. The car had long since been towed away, but she went there that night in hopes that something would trigger.

Jeff sat looking into the early morning sky. He couldn't sleep at all at night anymore. He sat outside of his house breathing in the cold air as he crossed his arms over his chest. Megan and he used to have a spot in the woods which was their spot. Growing up, if no one could find Megan, Jeff always knew where she'd go. They had a connection that no one could break. Now, the accident site was their spot. Going there had never comforted him, but he felt her there. He grabbed his truck keys and took out into the night in hopes to feel the closeness he felt when he was at the site.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x To Be Continued? x-x-x-x-x-x-x**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hope stood staring at the tree which still had markings on it from the night of the accident. Over time, the tree was beginning to heal, but it was still visible. She sat on the rock next to the tree and ran her hands over the indentations in the bark. She closed her eyes and tried to remember that night. She sat there for a while and gazed up and saw the sun beginning to rise. She took a picture from her pocket of herself and the girls. She looked at the photo but something caught her attention. As she moved closer to the object, she dropped the photograph into the grass. A small cross was in the ground a little over from the tree. 'Megan Moore Hardy always in our hearts…' she read to herself. She pondered the name… it sounded familiar but it wasn't hers. Ethan said all of her family was gone… who'd put the cross up? She stood up and turned to leave.

Jeff parked his truck on the road and began walking down the hill towards the tree. He could find the location with his eyes closed. He knew this spot well and he'd gone there nearly every night since he'd lost her. Something caught his eyes. A figure standing near the tree. He strained his eyes to see but the darkness didn't help his eyes. By the time he reached the tree, the figure was gone. He ran his hands over his face wondering if he'd imagined it. He wanted to see Megan so badly that he imagined it perhaps. He sat at the base of the tree and felt her presence strongly.

"Megan!" he screamed into the early morning sky. He could feel the tears brewing in his chest.

Hope was walking towards the opening of the forest when she heard a scream coming from the direction she'd just come from. She turned instinctively at the sound of her name. "Megan Moore Hardy…." She said out loud to herself. Part of her wanted to turn and find the voice. Part of her was afraid. She had a name now.

Jeff lay on the soft ground surrounding the tree. He felt something poking him in the leg as he stretched out. He reached behind him and pulled out a crinkled photograph.

"What is this…" he muttered aloud as he picked the photo up. He smoothed it down and came face to face with Megan. He sat up with disbelief on his face as he saw her holding two girls in the photo.

"She's alive… she was here…" he said jumping to his feet. "Megan!" he screamed. He wished he'd believed that she was there when he first arrived. Now, she was gone. Leaving him this picture to prove that she was also looking for him. He ran towards his truck and bolted back to his house. Jeff charged into Matt's room and awoke his brother from his sleep.

"Matt! Get up!" he screamed barely able to contain the joy in his voice.

Matt rolled over and looked at his brother. "What is it?"

"Look!" he screamed handing the photo to Matt, who was still half asleep. Matt wiped the sleep from his eyes and blinked until the picture was clear. His eyes widened as he glanced at it. "Where'd you get this?"

"By the tree... I went to be with her and I saw someone there… then I found this." He gushed.

Matt looked at him questioningly.

"It is Megan… and the girls… they look like me… I know it doesn't make sense but this is them…" he said.

Matt looked at the picture again. He was in disbelief.

"I told you that she was out there… I knew it." He sighed happily.

Later that morning, Jeff called everyone together to show them the picture and see what people thought about it. Trish grasped the picture as tears welding in her eyes.

"She's as beautiful as ever and the girls are gorgeous."

Shannon clutched the photo and saw his sister's smile. Something he thought he'd never see again. "How do we find her though?"

+Meanwhile+

Hope sat at Ethan's computer as she simply entered the name "Megan Moore Hardy" into the database. Within minutes, there were multiple links containing the name. She clicked on the first one.

'Megan Moore Hardy, wife of Jeff Hardy, was reported missing during the hurricane. Hardy, who was 8 months pregnant, was last seen traveling on highway 80. Her SUV was found in the ravine but there have been no sightings of her. Moore, along with her brother Shannon Moore, and her husband and brother in law were all employees of the WWE.'

Hope sat in disbelief as she read page after page of information. She clicked on links for her brother and husband. When Jeff's photo appeared on the monitor, she knew it was the face from her dream. She clicked the database which Ethan had used in hopes to find her family months ago. Her profile was closed and listed as found. Cameron was not far from where she was living with Ethan. Did Ethan know who she was? She ran her hands over her soft hair as she stared in disbelief at photos of herself and Jeff, along with others. As she stared at the photos, something inside of her triggered. "Jeff…" she whispered softly as a smile crossed her lips. She opened one of the drawers to the computer desk and found a silver and pink phone. She picked it up and stared at it curiously. This was her phone. She opened it and turned it on. Within minutes, she was scanning through phone numbers and her photo albums. What was her phone doing in Ethan's desk? "Home" "Matt" "Jeff" "Shannon" all the numbers she needed where already in her phone. She heard her daughters crying as she herself felt something in the pit of her stomach hurt.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Ethan arrived home from work unaware of what he would be walking into. He joyfully sprinted towards the house excited to see Hope and the girls. Even though he was only away from them for a few hours, he felt like it'd been days. He entered the house and found it surprisingly quiet.

"Hope?" he called as he set his keys down on the kitchen counter as he headed upstairs. He peaked his head into the nursery and saw that the girls were sound asleep in their cribs. He closed the door and walked down the hall to the master bedroom. He opened the door half expecting to find her asleep on the bed. However, she wasn't in the bedroom or any of the rooms upstairs. A moment of panic filled his chest as he wondered if she'd leave the girls alone in the house. "Hope!" he cried louder than before as he ran down the steps into the living room area. He heard a noise coming from the den. He walked into the den and found her sitting behind the desk typing on the computer. She had heard him since he'd entered the house, her eyes narrowed as she stared at him as he stood in the doorway.

"Didn't you hear me calling you, Darling?" he asked.

She looked at him. "I heard you."

Ethan looked at her oddly. "Why didn't you say anything then? I was worried."

All the rage she'd felt all day was boiling inside of her. She stared at him as she stood up from the computer monitor.

"Hope?" he questioned.

"I think we both know that that's not my name." she snapped as she turned the monitor to face him. Ethan's eyes widened as he stared at a photograph of her and Jeff at their wedding. She stared at him as she took note of his reaction. "And I think you've known the truth all along… otherwise, why would you have kept this?" she asked as she revealed the cell phone from her pocket. "All this time, you told me my family was dead and you told me that you didn't know who I was or where I came from! When all along, you've had the answers I needed! I started to remember things and you told me lies to hide the truth from me! Why would you do that?!" she screamed.

Ethan looked at her and hung his head down in shame. He couldn't lie anymore, he didn't want to lie to her anymore.

Megan looked at him. "They had a memorial service for me! My family is mourning me and the girls while you're here playing house with us! I had a life and you told me that my life didn't exist anymore… now 7 months later; I find out that everything you've told me has been a lie! The database says I was found months ago… found by whom? You? Were you ever going to tell me the truth?!" she demanded as he continued to remain silent. "Answer me!"

"Hope…"

"Megan!"

"Megan, listen. I know this looks bad… really bad…"

"You bet it looks really bad…." She said angrily.

"I never meant to hurt you or the girls. I've been good to you, Binks, and Cameron. I never forced you to do anything. I spent money to help you all adjust to life here. Anything you've ever needed I've given to you!"

"Except the truth and a ride back to Cameron…. A town 50 miles away and the name of my daughter. You must have been terrified when I named my baby after my hometown!"

"I'm sorry!" he screamed.

"You're sorry?! You expect that to make things better?! You had my phone with all my numbers and you could have called someone months ago…. That way you wouldn't have had to deal with me and my kids while I got my memory back! You would have been rid of us and back to your life! I would have been with Jeff raising our kids!" she screamed.

"I wanted to make it right!" he screamed.

She looked at him, stunned. "Make it right?"

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration as he looked at her. "The night of the accident…. You didn't lose control of the car or just slide off the road…"

She stared at him, unable to speak. Her mind flashed to that night. She was terrified driving in the storm, unable to see, and in labor. She looked at him. He took a deep breath and continued.

"I slammed into you and sent you off the road. I knew I couldn't leave you and when I realized you were in labor, I brought you here instead of the hospital because the roads were flooding and I knew you didn't have time. I didn't know who you were until you'd been here for about a month…. But by then, I'd fallen for you and I didn't want you to leave. So I hid the truth from you… hoping you'd never remember…."

Tears streaked her eyes. "Never remember Jeff and just be with you? Raise my girls with you as a family? Why would you do that? Steal someone's family?!" she screamed as the tears fell from her eyes.

Ethan looked at her, knowing that there was no reason to lie to her anymore. She couldn't hate him anymore than she already did. "My wife died earlier this year giving birth to my son. I couldn't save either of them and that night, I knew I couldn't let another man lose his wife and child… then I realized how much alike you and my wife looked…"

Megan looked at him. Her head and her heart hurt. He reached his hand out to her but she shrugged him away.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked her quietly.

Her eyes shot up to face his. "What do you mean?"

"When do you want me to drive you and the girls to Cameron?" he asked as he felt his own heart shattering inside of his body.

**X-x-x-x-x-x-x**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Jeff was jolted from his sleep by the sound of his dog Jack barking. He stared at the clock, it was noon. He'd fallen asleep at some point. A moment of panic filled his body as he searched for the photograph of Megan and his daughters, hoping that it wasn't all just a dream. He quickly located the picture and drew it close to his body as he released a sigh of relief. He stared at it.

"Knock knock…"

Jeff looked up to see his brother standing in the frame of the door. Jeff looked back down at the picture as Matt sat on the edge of his bed.

"I thought it was a dream…" Jeff sighed.

Matt smiled. "You know, I want to apologize. I know I haven't been the best at giving you hope about Megan. You never gave up. You never stopped believing that she was alive… now you have proof." He said softly.

Jeff looked into his brother's eyes. "I don't understand though. She looks so happy. I don't know how she could happy and not come home."

Matt bit his lip. He motioned for the picture from his brother and looked closely at it. "Jeff, I'm not sure what happened and when we find her, we'll find out for sure… but you remember the police thought she hit her head because of the blood on the window. Maybe she did. I mean, look at her hair. I haven't seen her with her hair cut that short in years."

Jeff sighed. "What if she just doesn't want to come home?"

Matt looked at his younger brother with shock in his eyes. "Maybe she doesn't know where home is?"

Jeff shot Matt a disapproving look. "How could she not?"

"You found this at the crash site right?"

Jeff nodded sadly taking the picture from his brother again.

Matt shrugged. "Maybe she put it there knowing you'd go there and find it? You two have had this connection for years. You might just have to give her the benefit of the doubt on this. Plus, the picture just happened to pop up after months of nothing…."

"What do I do now?" Jeff asked sadly.

"All we can do is wait and hope we find them soon…."

**+Elsewhere+**

Megan stared at Ethan. She was speechless.

"Did you call Jeff?" Ethan asked.

She shook her head. "No, I wanted to talk to you first."

He raised his eyebrow. "Really? Why?"

She twirled a string of her hair. "First of all, you've never hurt me or my girls. You've gone above and beyond for us, even if you kept the truth from me… but I didn't want you to come home and have the girls and I gone… I couldn't do that to you… and I knew calling my family, I'd be out of here as soon as they got here… and I didn't want any problems."

He nodded sadly knowing that Jeff would more than likely kill him for what he'd done. He knew he would if the roles were reversed.

"How do I call my husband after all this time? What do I say? Oh hey, I'm alive. The girls are fine. My fault…" she laughed sarcastically.

Ethan smiled and handed her the phone. "You call him and say, 'I'm coming home' and that's all he cares about. You have time to explain what I've done to him. I'm a man; I'll take responsibility for what I've done."

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Kidnapping… wrongful imprisonment… both are felonies. I've thought about it for months but I still didn't tell you. I'll go to the police and tell them everything… just promise me in court you testify that I never hurt you or the girls." He gave a slight smile as he pointed to the phone. "Call your husband. I'll go pack up the girls' things…" he said as he walked from the kitchen.

She stared at the phone and sighed. She knew the number… but she never dialed it. She set the phone onto the charger and walked upstairs. She heard Ethan talking to the twins on the other side of the door. She sighed as she stood in the hallway listening. He sounded like he was crying.

"Now girls, I want you to be good for your mother. You're not going to see me anymore. You are going home with your mommy and your daddy. I know you are too little to remember but I'll never forget either of you. You both will always be my little girls."

Megan walked into the room and looked at him. He stood holding both of the girls in his arms and he didn't even try to hide his tears. She looked at him with sadness in her eyes.

"I was just talking to the girls. Am I driving you to Cameron or is Jeff coming here?" he asked as he set Bianca into her crib. The infant began to cry as he set her down. He covered his mouth with his free hand as she stretched her little arms towards him.

Megan approached the crib and lifted Binks from the crib and calmed her down. She looked at Ethan and shook her head. "Part of me wants to hate you for what you've done…. And the other part of me knows that I don't want you spend the rest of your life in jail. The girls know you and I couldn't have survived without you. I don't want to get police involved in this…"

He raised his eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

She sighed. "I'm saying I can understand why you made the choices you did… and I am not saying you were right… but I don't want you to go to jail… if anything I want you to be able to see the girls… like an uncle…."

"Are you serious?!?" he exclaimed. "What about Jeff?"

"I'm serious…. I'll explain to Jeff… he'll never know about you lying to keep me here… You can still see the girls and it will be fine…" she said smiling slightly. "Just promise me, never make me regret this decision…. I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt and I don't want to get burned…"

"I swear…."

**+A while later+**

Megan drove Ethan's SUV down the highway towards Cameron. Her heart was racing a million beats per minute. She kept telling herself to relax but the prep talk didn't help her nerves. Ethan was watching the girls. For some reason, Megan thought it was better to see Jeff alone first. It just seemed easier. She drove and her memory was fully back as she made the turns to the house. She pulled into the driveway and saw that none of the cars were on the block. Not Gil's. Not Matt's. Not even Shannon's. Even Jeff's bike was out of sight. She sighed as she stared up at the darkened house windows. She hadn't planned for this. She parked the SUV on the block and walked up the driveway of their house. Jeff hadn't made any changes… it still looked the same. She walked out into the backyard to their "special" place just in the woods. Growing up, they'd had a tree fort and the swing still remained. This was their spot. She sighed as she sat on the swing… the ropes slightly weathered but still strong as ever. She stared up at the stars and felt at peace.

Jeff was driving home from the accident spot, like he did almost every day. Finding the picture had fueled his desire to go there daily. He pulled onto the block and noticed a SUV he'd never seen before. He quickly pulled into the driveway and heard Jack inside the house barking up a storm. He unlocked the door and Jack quickly ran from the house, nearly knocking Jeff down. Jack took off into the woods with Jeff running after him.

Megan heard a dog barking as she stopped swinging. She recognized the barks of their dog Jack. The dog was soon in sight and flooding her with licks and tail wags. She heard something coming from behind Jack. She looked up. It was Jeff. He was completely stopped and looking at her with tears in his eyes.

"Meg?" he said in disbelief.

She stood up as he rushed towards her and held her in his arms.

**------------------------------**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Jeff's arms wrapped around Megan's body and for the first time in a long time, she felt at home. She closed her eyes and rested her head onto Jeff's chest as they stood wrapped in each other's arms. Jeff's heart was beating so fast that she could hear in clearly. His hands ran up and down her back as he took in her scent.

"Please tell me this is real…." He muttered as he continued to hold her. "and if it's not, I never want to wake up…"

She arched her face to look at his face. A small smile formed on her face. "It's real…." She said slowly kissing his lips.

"I've missed you…." He whispered to her. "I couldn't live without you…."

"I've missed you sooo much…" she whispered softly.

"I love you…" he said softly looking into his wife's eyes.

"I love you too. So much. I can't even express how much."

Jeff looked at her with pure happiness in his heart. "You want to go home?"

She nodded her head as she took his hand and began walking towards their house. Questions and explanations would come later. For right now, this is what mattered. As they neared the house, a collection of figures began to come into the light. Megan stopped immediately as she recognized the faces of her brother, brother-in-law, father-in-law, and best friend.

"Shannon!" she screamed as she ran into the arms of her brother, nearly knocking him off of his feet. Shannon looked at his sister as if she were a ghost. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "I thought I'd lost you…."

After she'd greeted all of the men of her life, they entered the house. To her surprise, the house was unusually clean. They all sat in the living room while Jeff excused himself to use the phone. He quickly called Trish and pretty much everyone else he could think of before rejoining everyone in the living room.

"So… what happened?" Shannon asked boldly.

She smiled as Jeff entered the room. "I got the call from Gil but I couldn't understand it. I was driving home when I went into labor and I was heading towards the hospital near Charlotte. I got hit by another driver and went off the road. I passed out and when I came to, I was in labor and didn't know who or where I was… If it wasn't for Ethan, we would have died."

"Who's Ethan?" Matt asked suddenly.

"He's the one who found me and helped me deliver the girls. 2 beautiful, healthy girls. Bianca and Cameron. He let us stay with him while I tried to remember who I was." She said softly avoiding their eyes.

"So that's his SUV?" Matt asked

She nodded her head.

"And the girls are with him?" Shane asked.

She nodded her head again. "I figured it'd be easier to come home first and get them tomorrow."

"So you've been living with a guy and the girls all this time?" Shannon asked raising his eyebrow. "And you left the girls with him?"

"I told you it'd be easier…" she muttered.

"Easier on who?" Shannon spat.

She raised her eyebrow. "What are you angry for?"

Shannon stood up and looked at his sister, who for months had been assumed dead. "You were gone for months with a guy and now you come back and you obviously trust this guy to leave the girls with him."

"Of course I trust him! He's been my rock all of these months while I didn't know who I was!" she screamed.

"How could you forget us?!" Shannon screamed at his sister.

Shane jumped to his feet and tried to settle Shannon. "Stop stop stop!" he yelled at his friend.

Megan fought the tears in her eyes as she looked at her brother. "I don't know how I could forget you but I was terrified! I know you were in pain but what about me?! I was alone and didn't know who I was, what I liked, any answers to medical questions…. Nothing and a new mother and I didn't even know how to be a mother! Ethan helped me! Most people would be happy that I'm alive but instead, you're angry that it took me so long to come home! Maybe if you were looking for me, I would have been home sooner!" she screamed as she stood up and grabbed her purse.

Jeff's eyes shot to her. "Meg…"

"I need to go…" she said softly.

"Go where? Baby you're home." He said softly.

She looked at them all and shook her head. "I need to get back to the girls."

Jeff followed her out of the living room, leaving Shannon, Shane, and Matt in the living room with Gil.

"Wow, that was completely unnecessary." Matt said to Shannon.

"I don't like that she was playing house with someone else. I mean how could she forget Jeff? You've seen the picture. The girls look like him…."

Gil sighed. "If she didn't know who she was, you can't be mad at her though. She came home. You made her feel unwelcomed."

Shannon walked out of the living room and found Megan and Jeff standing in the kitchen. Jeff was holding her in his arms and shot Shannon a nasty look as he spotted him.

"Don't…." Jeff said softly.

Megan lifted her head and looked at her brother with tears in her eyes. Shannon hated to see her like this, especially given the situation. She was alive and well…. But something was bugging him deep inside.

"So this guy let you and the babies stay with him for nothing right? You didn't do anything and he was just a nice guy who let you stay?"

"Shannon, I swear… you need to leave…." Jeff demanded.

"You can't be serious… you can just accept this story and be ok with it?"

Jeff looked at Megan. "I believe her. I love her. I'm glad that someone helped her all this time when we couldn't…." he said holding his wife's hand.

"I can't believe that you'd be more stuck on what I've been doing while I was away rather than the fact that I'm alive and that your nieces are beautiful and healthy and coming home!" she screamed as she pointed to the door. "Get out!"

Shannon looked at Jeff and back at his sister. After Shannon left, Megan turned to him. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come home. The only reason I started to remember was because of the cross at the accident site."

"It doesn't matter to me, I'm just glad you're home." He said kissing her forehead. "Do you have to go back tonight?"

"No, I told Ethan we'd be back in the morning to get the girls…" she replied.

Gil, Shane, and Matt walked into the kitchen and smiled at them. "We're going to give you two time to talk and figure things out. Let me know when my nieces are home." Matt smiled as he pulled Megan into a hug. "Love you."

"I love you too." She smiled as she waved goodnight to them.

"I'm going to let Jack out and I'll be back in a few minutes." Jeff said to her as he grabbed the blue leash from the hook.

She was alone in the house. She knew this house like the back of her hand. Everything was the same. She walked up the steps and looked at all the photographs along the stairwell's walls. She came to the top of the steps and saw that the nursery was untouched and in the same condition as the last time she saw it. She knew that tomorrow the room would be filled with the girl's cries and laughs. She entered their bedroom. Much like the rest of the house, her things lay unmoved from the last time she'd used them. She kicked off her boots and crawled onto her side of the bed. She remembered how the bed always felt like a cloud. She knew Jeff would be back soon so she just closed her eyes.

Jeff came home after he practically pulled Jack through the neighborhood. Tonight would be the night where Jack wanted to sniff everything and Jeff was in a rush to get home. He found her in their bedroom curled up looking like a baby. Jeff just wanted to hold her in his arms like he'd always used to. He kicked off his sneakers and curled up next to her, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her cheek.

"I love you…."

"I love you too…" she said softly rolling herself to face him. She touched his cheek with her hand and kissed his lips softly. Jeff ran his hands down her back as they kissed. She ran her hand through his hair like she always used to do, it drove him wild when she used to play with his hair. He began to unbutton her top, but quickly stopped and looked at her. He didn't want to stop, but he didn't want to rush her either. She smiled at him.

"It's ok…. "She whispered as she caught him with her lips again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Jeff awoke the next morning feeling better than he had in months. The sunlight hit his face and warmed his skin. He opened his eyes to see his wife's sleeping face. She looked beautiful when she slept, and to Jeff's joy, it was real… she was home. He pushed her brunette hair from her face and kissed her cheek. He held her close to his body as he thought about meeting his daughters for the first time… being a father… and a husband. Things he'd been told for months weren't possible. But, he'd never given up hope, and now in a short time, all his dreams would be a reality. He lay awake as he held her and felt her heart beating. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath. Jeff's phone began to ring and he spun his body to reach it from the bedside table, carefully trying not to wake her.

"Hey Matt…" he spoke softly.

"Did I wake you? Why are you talking so softly?"

"No, Megan's sleeping next to me…."

Matt laughed softly. "So how was last night?"

Megan's eyes blinked open as she heard Jeff's voice. She smiled at him as she looked into his eyes. "Matt, let me call you back. Meg just woke up…." He said quickly closing his phone shut. "Morning…" he smiled at her as he kissed her lips.

"What time is it?" she asked stretching her arms out.

He stared at his phone and read her the time. "Why?"

She smiled at him. "Don't you want to meet your girls?"

* * *

Jeff was in the SUV when Matt walked up the driveway. Matt began laughing as he heard Jeff cursing from inside the SUV.

"You need some help?" he asked laughing at his brother.

Jeff spun his head to face Matt and smiled knowing he'd been caught. "I don't understand how this hooks up to the seat belt!"

"Let me try…." Matt said grabbing one of the car seats. "So when should I be back to meet my nieces?"

"Probably 2 hours…. Meg said Ethan packed up their things already…." Jeff said as he clicked the seat belt into the holder. "Done…"

Matt laughed. "That doesn't look right…."

Megan walked up to the SUV and smiled at the boys. "Wow…. How many men does it take to secure two car seats?" she laughed as she hugged Matt.

"Ask the expert to check them…" Matt laughed.

She looked into the car and laughed as she fixed the side Jeff was working on, and adjusted Matt's. "Ok, so I'll drive and you follow me. Here's the directions just in case we get separated…." She said handing Jeff a piece of paper.

"I'll see you when you guys get back…" Matt said as he began to head home.

Jeff followed behind Megan as they drove towards Ethan's house. All this time, she was only 50 miles from home. Jeff thought to himself. Before he knew it, they were pulling into a driveway of a nice house. He parked behind her and jumped out quickly. They were met at the door by Ethan, who smiled glumly at them.

"Ethan, this is my husband Jeff… Jeff this is Ethan." She said as they shook hands.

"I just can't thank you enough for everything you've done." Jeff said strongly.

Ethan smiled at Megan. "The girls are upstairs in their cribs. I have their stuff all packed.." he said pointing at the bags near the door.

"Come on, Jeff…" she spoke softly as she took his hand and led him upstairs. She led him to a simple white door and opened the door slowly. Jeff looked around the nursery as they neared the cribs which stood side by side.

He gazed down into the first crib to see a sleeping baby. "This is Bianca." Megan whispered.

Megan looked down into Cameron's crib and found the baby awake and smiling at her. Jeff touched Bianca's small fist and looked up at Megan as she lifted the other baby from the crib. "This is Cameron."

Jeff looked into the eyes of Cameron and smiled at her. Megan motioned to Jeff. "Want to hold your daughter?"

Jeff nodded his head as he reached for the baby, who was smiling at him. Once in his arms, she began to laugh and tug on his long hair. Megan scooped Bianca into her arms and stared at Jeff.

"They're so beautiful." He said feeling the words choke in his throat.

"Matt always said we had good genes…" she laughed.

Jeff had tears in his eyes as he stepped towards Megan and kissed her.

Ethan helped Jeff pack the SUV with the girls' things before saying goodbye to the girls. Megan loaded the twins into their seats and hugged Ethan tightly.

"Jeff…." Ethan called as they turned to get into the SUV. "Here…. It's just some things that I thought you'd like." He said handing Jeff a box. Jeff popped the lid and saw pictures of the girls, along with two baby books. "Thanks." Jeff said offering a strong handshake before getting into the driver's seat.

Ethan waved from the house as they pulled off. Jeff drove home feeling complete as he instinctively checked on the girls through the rear-view mirror. Megan patted his knee and smiled. When they reached their driveway, Jeff pointed out all of the familiar cars which were parked at the house. Everyone was waiting outside when they arrived and Megan gasped at the sight of all of her friends, family, and WWE coworkers. Trish and Maria ran to the car and gripped Megan before all three of them began to sob in each other's arms. Matt ran to the back door of the truck and unstrapped Cameron from the car seat. Before long, Megan and the twins had been in everyone's arms. Jeff smiled at his family from across the yard.

* * *

**2 years later**

Jeff sat in the locker room waiting for his match to begin. He smiled as he heard his phone ring and looked at the screen. It was a video from Megan, who was at home with the kids. He opened the message and played the video. His laughter filled the air as he watched his twins dancing to his theme music, the way he danced to it. He heard Megan's voice telling the girls to "Say hi to Daddy…" and "Tell Daddy you love him."

The voices of the girls began laughing and greeting their Dad.

Jeff heard the squeal of his son and laughed as Aiden began crawling near the dancing girls.

The video ended and Jeff smiled as he closed his phone. He'd be home with them all soon enough. A few hours from now, he'd be home.

* * *

**The End**


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